United Rugby Championship Team News and TV Listings

The teams for this weekend's Round 7 fixtures of the BKT United Rugby Championship have been named with all details of match officials and broadcast information below.

TEAM NEWS HEADLINES

#SCAvLEI

• Aaron Shingler and Tom Rogers return from injury while Ryan Conbeer set to make his 50th appearance for Scarlets
• Ben Brownlee great nephew of Ronnie Dawson, former Leinster hooker and captain of the British & Irish Lions and Ireland is set to make his debut alongside Tadgh McElroy and Charlie Tector if called upon from the bench

#GLAvBEN

• Alex Samuel to make his professional debut for Glasgow Warriors. Euan Ferrie is also set to make his debut if called upon from the replacements
• Rhyno Smith returns to Benetton's starting XV at fullback

#LIOvSTO

• One change to Emirates Lions matchday squad, prop Morgan Naude replaces Sti Sithole on the bench
• DHL Stormers have made eight changes to the starting line up from last weeks defeat in Cardiff

#DRAvZEB

• David Richards makes his first start for Dragons RFC with eight changes made to the matchday squad
• Jacques Du Toit will captain Zebre Parma for the first time

#MUNvULS

• Munster academy lock Evan O’Connell is in line to make his debut and the 18-year-old will become the province’s youngest player to play in the professional era if sprung from the bench
• John Andrew will hit 100 caps for Ulster if called-up from the bench, while teammate, Rory Sutherland, is set to make his debut for the province, as he is also named among the forward replacements

#OSPvCON

• Three potential Ospreys debut off the bench for Ben Warren, Tristan Davies and Luke Scully
• Jarrad Butler will make his 100th appearance for Connacht while Darragh Murray and Adam Byrne both could make their debuts for the province if called upon from the bench

#BULvSHA

• Johan Goosen set to start at fullback for the Vodacom Bulls
• Seven-time Springbok capped centre Francois Venter gets his debut start for Cell C Sharks

#CARvEDI

• Lloyd Williams and Jarrod Evans will form Cardiff Rugby’s half back partnership
• Three changes to Edinburgh Rugby side as Charlie Savala, Pierce Phillips and Ben Muncaster all start

 

FRIDAY, 28 OCTOBER

 

Scarlets v Leinster

Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR, 28th league game)

AR 1: Adam Jones (WRU) AR 2:  Simon Mills (WRU)

TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Live on: BBC Wales, TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery + & URC.tv

Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl, Tom Rogers, Steff Evans, Jonathan Davies (CAPT), Ryan Conbeer; Dan Jones, Gareth Davies, Steff Thomas, Daf Hughes, Harri O’Connor, Jac Price, Tom Price, Aaron Shingler, Dan Thomas, Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements: Shaun Evans, Kemsley Mathias, WillGriff John, Morgan Jones, Iwan Shenton, Archie Hughes, Rhys Patchell, Corey Baldwin

Leinster: Chris Cosgrave, Rob Russell, Liam Turner, Charlie Ngatai, Dave Kearney, Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath, Ed Byrne, John McKee, Thomas Clarkson, Ross Molony, Jason Jenkins, Rhys Ruddock (CAPT), Scott Penny, Max Deegan

Replacements: Tadgh McElroy, Michael Milne, Vakhtang Abdaladze, Brian Deeny, Martin Moloney, Nick McCarthy, Charlie Tector, Ben Brownlee

Scarlets Head Coach Dwayne Peel said: “People will obviously doubt us against Leinster, but it’s a great opportunity for us to have a go at them. We understand what is coming here. We know they are a quality outfit and have strength in depth. They are well coached and well drilled. It’s going to be a big challenge for us, but we are confident we can get amongst them and try and upset them.”

 

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton

Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Craig Evans (WRU, 38th league game)

AR 1: Finlay Brown (SRU) AR 2: Michael Todd (SRU)

TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)

Live on: Premier Sports, Discovery +, Eurosport, SuperSport & URC.tv

Glasgow Warriors: Josh McKay, Sebastian Cancelliere, Kyle Steyn (CAPT), Stafford McDowall, Rufus McLean, Domingo Miotti, Jamie Dobie, Oli Kebble, Fraser Brown, Murphy Walker, Sintu Manjezi, Alex Samuel, Ryan Wilson, Gregor Brown, Sione Vailanu

Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Nathan McBeth, Simon Berghan, JP du Preez, Lewis Bean, Euan Ferrie, Sean Kennedy, Tom Jordan

Benetton: Rhyno Smith, Ignacio Mendy, Joaquin Riera, Marco Zanon, Mattia Bellini, Giacomo Da Re, Dewaldt Duvenage (CAPT), Nahuel Tetaz, Federico Zani, Tiziano Pasquali, Scott Scrafton, Carl Wegner, Giovanni Pettinelli, Sebastian Negri, Henry Time-Stowers

Replacements: Manuel Arroyo, Thomas Gallo, Filippo Alongi, Marco Lazzaroni, Abraham Steyn, Alessandro Izekor, Alessandro Garbisi, Marcus Watson

Glasgow Warriors Head Coach Franco Smith said: “After a disrupted few weeks everyone is looking forward to getting back to playing rugby in front of our home crowd tomorrow evening. It’s great to be able to welcome Jamie Dobie back into the side and we’re looking forward to seeing Alex [Samuel] and Euan [Ferrie] earn their debuts. Tomorrow is another challenge - Benetton out-performed us in the first week and we need to be at our best to rectify that tomorrow at Scotstoun in front of our home crowd.”

Benetton Head Coach Marco Bortolami said: “Playing away from home we have already experienced that it is a very big challenge, so we will prepare for a tough game but we will go there with the intention of winning the game. By better managing some situations, even basic ones, that got out of hand against the (Vodacom) Bulls we will be able to realise the opportunities created. We must be confident and have the energy to finish the first block of the season in the best possible way. Glasgow at home is a team that plays a lot of ball in hand starting with their own half. We will have to be able to defend for many phases, being careful and trying to hold up for the whole 80 minutes. Compared to the game against the (Vodacom) Bulls we expect a much faster match than less based on pure physicality.”

 

SATURDAY, 29 OCTOBER

 

Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers

Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg – KO 15.00  IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA

Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni (SARU, 4th league game)

AR 1: Morné Ferreira (SARU) AR 2: Stephan Geldenhuys (SARU)

TMO: Ben Crouse (SARU)

Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, TG4, Discovery + & URC.tv

Emirates Lions: Andries Coetzee, Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk, Marius Louw, Quan Horn, Jordan Hendrikse, Sanele Nohamba, JP Smith, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer, Willem Alberts, Reinhard Nothnagel (CAPT), Emmanuel Tshituka, Ruan Venter, Francke Horn

Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Morgan Naude, Ruan Smith, Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Sibusiso Sangweni, Morne van den Berg, Gianni Lombard, Zander du Plessis

DHL Stormers: Clayton Blommetjies, Angelo Davids, Dan du Plessis, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Leolin Zas, Manie Libbok, Paul de Wet, Brok Harris, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Ernst van Rhyn (CAPT), Marvin Orie, Junior Pokomela, Hacjivah Dayimani, Evan Roos

Replacements: JJ Kotze, Ali Vermaak, Sazi Sandi, Ben-Jason Dixon, Willie Engelbrecht, Nama Xaba, Herschel Jantjies, Suleiman Hartzenberg

Emirates Lions Scrum Coach Julian Redelinghuys said: “There’s no doubt that the Stormers are a quality side, but in saying that our focus this week has been on our plans and how we want to execute on Saturday. We control what we can, with a sharp focus on our processes in the build-up. We certainly want to improve our performances against local opposition. We believe if we can better our performances in local URC derbies, the results will take care of themselves. There’s no better opportunity than this Saturday at home in front of our home fans.”

 

DHL Stormers Head Coach John Dobson said: "We have managed to build some good depth already this season and we are really looking forward to seeing what these guys can do up there. We were obviously disappointed with the result last week and while training time has been limited this week, we can't wait to see how some of these combinations go."

 

Dragons RFC v Zebre Parma

Rodney Parade, Newport – KO 17.15  IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA

Referee: Ben Blain (SRU, 25thleague game)

AR 1: Gareth Newman (WRU) AR 2: Gwyn Morris (WRU)

TMO: Mike Adamson (SRU)

Live on: S4C, Discovery + , Premier Sports, SuperSport & URC.tv

Dragons RFC: Angus O’Brien, David Richards, Steff Hughes, Max Clark, Jared Rosser, Sam Davies, Rhodri Williams, Aki Seiuli, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Davies, Sean Lonsdale, Aaron Wainwright, Harrison Keddie (CAPT), Ross Moriarty

Replacements: James Benjamin, Rob Evans, Chris Coleman, Huw Taylor, Ben Fry, Gonzalo Bertranou, JJ Hanrahan, Aneurin Owen

Zebre Parma: Richard Kriel, Latu Latunipulu, Tommaso Boni, Damiano Mazza, Jacopo Trulla, Tiff Eden, Chris Cook, Juan Pitinari, Jacques Du Toit (CAPT), Matteo Nocera, Andrea Zambonin, Leonard Krumov, Davide Ruggeri, Iacopo Bianchi, Taina Fox-Matamua

Replacements: Marco Manfredi, Alessio Sanavia, Muhamed Hasa, Jan Uys, Giacomo Ferrari, Ratko Jelic, Geronimo Prisciantelli, Lorenzo Pani

Dragons RFC Defence Coach Simon Cross said:  “You underestimate Zebre (Parma) at your peril. They will play more than any side we have played against so far this year. They are incredibly dangerous with ball in hand, but we can cause them problems if we get our bits right. We can turn the ball over in high field position and give a quality attack the chance to put some points on the board. We know what we must do defensively because Zebre (Parma) are lethal from all over the field with an incredibly dangerous back three. It’s a game we are all looking forward to.”

 

Munster v Ulster

Thomond Park, Limerick – KO 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA

Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU, 68th league game)

AR 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU) AR 2: Paul Haycock (IRFU)

TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)

Live on: RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery + & URC.tv

Munster: Mike Haley, Shane Daly, Malakai Fekitoa, Rory Scannell, Patrick Campbell, Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson, Dave Kilcoyne, Diarmuid Barron, John Ryan, Edwin Edogbo, Eoin O'Connor, Jack O'Donoghue (CAPT), John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Josh Wycherley, Roman Salanoa, Evan O'Connell, Cian Hurley, Neil Cronin, Ben Healy, Simon Zebo

Ulster: Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham, James Hume, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, Nathan Doak, Andy Warwick, Tom Stewart, Marty Moore, Alan O’Connor (CAPT), Sam Carter, David McCann, Sean Reffell, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: John Andrew, Rory Sutherland, Gareth Milasinovich, Cormac Izuchukwu, Jordi Murphy, John Cooney, Angus Curtis, Craig Gilroy

Ulster Head Coach Dan McFarland said: “A team like Munster has certain qualities that don’t go away. They might not have played their best rugby in the first part of the season, but there are strands within their game that make them extremely competitive, and I expect nothing less at the weekend. There is a reason they are so strong at home, and we’ll be expecting exactly that. It’s going to be a great challenge to get a win, but that’s a goal of ours.”

 

Ospreys v Connacht

Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU, 28th league game)

AR 1: Adam Jones (WRU) AR 2: Mark Butcher (WRU)

TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)

Live on: S4C, RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery + & URC.tv

Ospreys: Max Nagy, Luke Morgan, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles, Jack Walsh, Reuben Morgan Williams, Rhys Henry, Scott Baldwin (CAPT), Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Huw Sutton, Ethan Roots, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morris

Replacements: Sam Parry, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Jack Regan, Tristan Davies, Matthew Aubrey, Luke Scully, Cai Evans

Connacht: Tiernan O’Halloran, Alex Wootton, Tom Farrell, David Hawkshaw, John Porch, Jack Carty (CAPT), Caolin Blade, Denis Buckley, Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jack Aungier, Oisín Dowling, Gavin Thornbury, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Conor Oliver, Jarrad Butler

Replacements: Grant Stewart, Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, Darragh Murray, Paul Boyle, Kieran Marmion, Tom Daly, Adam Byrne

Ospreys Head Coach Toby Booth said: “Connacht are a physical side, the Irish provinces always are. They’re very efficient at the breakdown so we have to make sure we deal with the physicality they showed against the Scarlets, Leinster and Munster. That level of physicality is very challenging so we’re going to have to be ready for that fight.”

Connacht Director of Rugby Andy Friend said: "Jarrad reaching 100 caps is a brilliant achievement. He’s a genuine leader within the group both on and off the field, and it’s a testament to him that he has hit a century of appearances in just six seasons with us. We are continuing to keep the matchday squad fresh with a few changes, whilst still selecting a 23 that is more than capable of picking up a win, albeit against difficult opposition in the Ospreys. I feel like all of the hard work that has been done from pre-season to date is starting to be seen through our on field performances. We’re all keen to keep that momentum going and finish this block on a high."

 

SUNDAY, 30 OCTOBER

 

Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA / 15.00 SA

Referee: Marius van der Westhuisen (SARU, 12th league game)

AR 1: AJ Jacobs (SARU) AR 2: Griffin Colby (SARU)

TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Live on: SuperSport, Premier Sports, Discovery + & URC.tv

Vodacom Bulls: Johan Goosen, David Kriel, Coral Hendricks, Harold Vorster, Sbu Nkosi, Chris Smith, Zak Burger, Gerard Steenekamp, Bismarck du Plessis, Francois Klopper, Walt Steenkamp, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), Marco van Staden, WJ Steenkamp

Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Janko Swanepoel, Ruan Vermaak, Embrose Papier, Stravino Jacobs, Wandisile Simelane

Cell C Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Werner Kok, Francois Venter, Ben Tapuai, Thaakir Abrahams, Boeta Chamberlain, Cameron Wright, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Kerron van Vuuren, Thomas du Toit (CAPT), Gerbrandt Grobler, Hyron Andrews, Dylan Richardson, Vincent Tshituka, Phepsi Buthelezi

Replacements: Dan Jooste, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Justin Basson, James Venter, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Grant Williams, Marnus Potgieter

             

Cardiff Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby

Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA / 17.00 SA

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR, 19th league game)

AR 1: Mike English (WRU) AR 2: Lewis Harrison (WRU)

TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR)

Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Discovery + & URC.tv

Cardiff Rugby: Ben Thomas, Jason Harries, Mason Grady, Max Llewellyn, Theo Cabango, Jarrod Evans, Lloyd Williams, Rhys Carré, Kirby Myhill, Dmitri Arhip, Josh Turnbull (CAPT), Rory Thornton, James Botham, Thomas Young, James Ratti

Replacements: Liam Belcher, Corey Domachowski, Will Davies-King, Teddy Williams, Gwilym Bradley, Ellis Bevan, Aled Summerhill, Cameron Winnett

Edinburgh Rugby: Henry Immelman, Emiliano Boffelli, Matt Currie, Chris Dean, Wes Goosen, Charlie Savala, Charlie Shiel, Boan Venter, Adam McBurney, Luan de Bruin, Pierce Phillips, Jamie Hodgson Ben Muncaster, Luke Crosbie (CAPT), Viliame Mata

Replacements: Patrick Harrison, Nick Auterac, Angus Williams, Marshall Sykes, Connor Boyle, Henry Pyrgos, Jaco van der Walt, Jack Blain

Cardiff Rugby Director of Rugby Dai Young said: “We’re looking forward to another big challenge on Sunday against Edinburgh to finish this opening block of fixtures. We have been pleased with our recent results and the steps we have taken forward in terms of our performances but we know it is going to be another step up this weekend. Edinburgh are on the back of two good wins and have scored more points and more tries than any other team this season. So we will need to be at our best, particularly in defence. They have a good core to their squad and will be targeting this game but we are at home and we have a good record at the Arms Park. The atmosphere, and the energy it has given us, has been massive in recent weeks and we are looking forward to more of the same. We have spoken a lot about consistency and if we can finish this block with a fourth consecutive victory, it will be a pleasing start to the season.”

Edinburgh Rugby Head Coach Mike Blair said: “We’ve taken a lot of confidence from back-to-back bonus-point wins, and we’ve been really pleased about how our game is developing so far, but we need to keep that level of focus for 80 minutes. Cardiff have had an impressive start to the season and are in a rich vein of form having won their last three. Last weekend’s victory against DHL Stormers showed just how dangerous they are at home. We know we’ll have to at our best from the first whistle to last in Cardiff but the squad are really excited for the challenge ahead and the opportunity to once again represent the club and city.”